Salt Lake Telegram | 1915-07-16 | Page 1 | History of Case

HISTORY OF CASE While running to catch an interurban train to Ogden on onI I the night of December 5 I 1912 9 1 2 David Eccles capitalist capital capital- sugar king king- and lumber baron was stricken with heart failure in the streets of Salt SalE Lake and died He had pad been visiting at the home of Mrs Margaret Geddes 26 East Twelfth South street a short time before his death Mrs Geddes was the widow of William Stewart G Geddes she having been his plural wife Geddes had been a trusted employee of David Eccles for many years Mrs Airs Geddes was the mother of Albert Geddes born in In 1899 several years after the death of W. W S. S Geddes Shortly after the death of Eccles Mrs Geddes filed a 3 claim for a division of the Eccles s estate on behalf of her herson herson son soil Albert alleging that she had become Eccles' Eccles plural wife by a secret union unton which was performed she said sald Inthe in inthe inthe the office of the Eccles Lumber Lumber Lumber Lum Lum- ber company Ogden in the thelast thelast thelast last week of August 1898 and that Albert Geddes was the result of thai that union and was a son of David Eccles The Eccles heirs denied the division requested alleging that no plural marriage ceremony ceremony ceremony cere cere- mony had been performed and that th the boy was not net a aSOn ason ason son of their father Trial of the suit was begun in the probate division of th the district court at Ogden June 2 21 t when a jury was secured There were scores of wItnesses witnesses witnesses wit wIt- nesses examined and for days Ju Judge ge J J. J A. A Howell insisted upon upon three sessions 9 of court each day Mrs Geddes Gedd s was wason wason wason on the stand eight d days ls and revealed what she declared was the full story of her life of intimate relationship with Eccles The case was conteSted contested contested con con- tested bitterly point by point from the opening hour until it was s 's submitted to the jury